


Hell On Earth

by neffy1982



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Endgame Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, F/F, Sanvers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-16 07:58:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16950090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neffy1982/pseuds/neffy1982
Summary: "It has been five hundred and ninety-six days, sixteen hours, twelve minutes and three seconds since the last rainfall."A drought in National City has disrupted order, created warzones, destroyed families and blurred the lines of morality. Maggie Sawyer will do anything to protect her people. Alex Danvers will kill anyone to find her family. Unfortunately, those ideals clash.Sanvers.Drought AU.





	1. The High Wallers

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Zenniefic for the feedback and encouragement.

It has been five hundred and ninety-six days, sixteen hours, twelve minutes and three seconds since the last rainfall.

 

But who’s counting?

 

Maggie Sawyer sat on her bedroom window still and gazed into the inky night. The outline of suburban houses surrounded her against a backdrop of stars. Several solar lights flickered through the windows of nearby homes while few dotted the empty roads. If she strained her eyes, she could see the outline of the perimeter walls that wrapped around the cluster of houses like a formidable concrete curtain, enclosing the community off from the barren outside world. It was so quiet that she could hear the nocturns clinking around in the vegetable garden.

 

Beads of sweat trickled down her spine. She didn’t even shift to scratch her back. The discomfort had eventually become a comfort. The comfort of knowing that you’re still alive despite all the fucked-up odds stacked against you since the drought was officially declared.

 

Bloated, decayed bodies.

Crying, screaming children.

Crushed babies with footprints on their tiny bodies.

Shattered glass from looted grocery stores.

Deadly fights over the last bottle of water.

Long, blond hair matted with blood and dirt.

 

Maggie knocked her head against the window frame to repress the grisly memories from flickering through her mind. _In…1,2,3…out. In…1,2, 3...out_. She repeated the breathing techniques Darla had taught her.

 

She hated having panic attacks.

 

“Maggie?”

 

She jerked. Heart pounding, she raised her head from the window frame and looked towards the bedroom door. “It’s open,” she croaked from her always parched throat.

 

Kara entered and eased the door shut. Maggie forced a smiled as the younger woman tiptoed across the scratched, wooden floor. From the dim solar light sitting on Maggie’s bedside table, she could see Kara’s thin, blue tank top and shorts already lined with sweat. Her blond hair was rolled into a tight bun with several loose strands stuck to her skin. The sight of her hair brought a flash of blood red in Maggie’s mind that made her stomach roll. She immediately pushed away the morbid memory again and focused on Kara.

 

“You should let me cut your hair,” Maggie offered, trying to sound normal as Kara got closer. “I can get it done with one swipe.” She mimed a knife slicing through the air.

 

Kara lightly slapped her knee and sat on the window still, but she did not smile. Her face glistened in the faint light. Her permanently flushed face made her look like a blushing teenager around a crush. She leaned back against the window frame and pulled her knees close to her chest, mirroring Maggie’s seated position. She bit her cracked lower lip and sighed. “I had a dream. Or a memory. I’m not sure which is it.”

 

Maggie did not hear the screams that usually followed Kara’s nightmares, so she took it as a good sign. She studied the creases on Kara’s pink face, her dull, clouded eyes, tear-stained cheeks and heavy breaths. Then it clicked. _Oh god._ Maggie sat up and grabbed Kara’s hands. “You remembered something about your family?”

 

“I-I think so. I’m not sure,” she frowned while playing with Maggie’s fingers, “it’s confusing.”

 

Maggie dipped her head to catch Kara’s eyes. “Tell me anyway.”

 

 “I-most of the dream were jumbled. Some parts were blurry but only one person stood out. A woman with a serious face.”

 

“Do you remember anything else about this woman?”

 

Kara shook her head. “It’s probably not my sister. I felt her in my dreams before even though I didn’t see her face. She makes me feel safe. Like I could take on all the gangs and she would always be there. Be my backup, you know. But I didn’t feel anything when I saw this woman. Well she was intimidating. All she did in the dream was glare at someone or something. So maybe it’s not her.”

 

Maggie nodded. She eyed the muscle definition along Kara’s sunburned arms and shoulders. Her body showed she was a fighter but when Maggie found her several months ago, she was a terrified woman running away from a gang of men and into a bush fire. She had no memory of her family, her past or how she got there. Just her name and her sister’s name: Ally.

 

She squeezed Kara’s hands, being careful to avoid the healing blisters. Kara looked up. “This is a good sign,” Maggie assured her, “you’re remembering faces. That means your memory is slowly coming back. I know it’s frustrating-”

 

Kara sighed again.

 

“-but slow is good. Your mind is taking its time to heal. Don’t worry. I promised you that we’ll find them.”

 

Kara finally smiled. “That’s one of the first things you said to me when I woke up in this place. You make me feel so safe here.”

 

 _I’ll do everything I can to keep you that way_. She wouldn’t repeat her past mistakes.

 

Kara glanced at her. Maggie recognized the playful grin on her face. “Are you sure you’re not my sister?”

 

Kara pulled her arm closer to hers and examined their contrasting skin tones.

 

“We could be twins,” Maggie laughed.

 

They sat in comfortable silence until Kara yawned. Maggie tapped her knee. “It’s about two hours until sunrise so you should get some sleep. Winn said he needs your help upgrading the communicators.”

 

“Oh please. He doesn't need help. He just wants me there to hand him the tools he's too lazy to reach.”

 

Maggie laughed again as Kara uncurled her legs and stood up. The twinkle was back in her bright, blue eyes. Maggie pointed at her bed. “You can stay here if you want.” Her room was privy to the eastern winds which were both a blessing and a curse at times. It was a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house but required daily dusting thanks to the fine dirt the winds carried for miles.

 

Maggie followed Kara’s gaze as she surveyed the simple room. A queen-sized bed was jammed against a cracked wall with faded blue paint. A brown bedside table held a small solar lamp, Maggie’s phone and her water bottle. She looked at Maggie and asked. “You’re not going back to bed?”

 

“I’ve got sentry duty in a bit,” Maggie lied. It was easier than saying she barely slept in over a year since the drought started. Since she ended up in this community in the middle of nowhere.

 

Kara touched her shoulder. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

 

Maggie nodded but that too was a lie. The last thing she would ever do was add to Kara’s burden.

 

“I’ve been told that I’m an excellent listener,” Kara continued, “and an efficient problem-solver. Plus, I stay cool and calm under pressure.”

 

Maggie played along. “Right. Is that why you screamed like a baby when that animal jumped on James and almost scratched his eyes out while we were looking for food a few days ago?”

 

Kara gasped and whirled around. “That possum came from nowhere!”

 

Maggie stifled her laughter.

 

“How was I supposed to know it was hiding its babies in the bushes? And you!” she pointed at Maggie, “Miss Detective. You stood there staring at poor James while it tried to blind him!”

 

“True,” Maggie said, “that wasn’t one of my finer moments but James more than handled himself.”

 

Still grumbling, Kara smoothed out the bedsheets and settled on the bed. Maggie turned her attention back to the night. The rhythmic clicking of garden tools hitting the ground had stopped. That meant the nocturns were on their way back to their respective houses.

 

It also meant that sunrise was near.

 

Maggie inhaled muggy air into her lungs. Another day fighting to survive the never-ending drought while trying to keep forty-five persons alive and sane.

 

Explosive coughs shattered the quiet. Maggie tilted her head in the direction of a neighbouring house. She cringed at the repeated wet, hacking sounds from the suffering soul and made a mental note to ask Darla about their first aid stocks.

 

Her phone beeped. Maggie glanced at it on the small table next to her bed and then to Kara who had already fallen asleep.

 

_Probably one of the perimeter guards checking in._

 

She unfolded her legs and crossed the room. Her spine cracked in protest as she stretched her arms. She gasped when searing pain shot across her shoulder and up the side of her neck. Maggie clenched her jaw to stop herself from crying out. She shut her eyes and gently brushed trembling fingers against raw flesh. She whimpered. Her neck felt moist and flaky. Pieces of dark, wrinkled skin clung to her fingertips.

 

Another rip in her skin. Sun and heat were a deadly combination.

 

 _Thank God there aren’t many mirrors in this house. I probably look like Chucky’s Bride or a human that rose from the Pet Cemetery_. She eyed the numerous discolorations and split skin along her exposed limbs. _Chucky’s bride it is._

 

As soon as the pain ebbed to a lazy throb, Maggie tiptoed to her night stand. Winn had done something to their useless phones to be able to use them as walkie-talkies. All she had to do was press the home button to talk to someone within range on a radio channel or use the keypad to warn the entire community with specific keystrokes.

 

She picked up the phone. It was M’gann, the leader of their small community behind the high walls. Maggie also lived in her house, therefore refusing to meet her before dawn was not an option. She replied with a series of beeps and shoved the phone into her back pocket. Maggie sniffed her tank top. She didn’t need to change it yet, but she needed to check the water levels in the bathroom before she could take a quick wash. It made no sense changing her already musty clothes if there was not enough water for a bath.

 

She grabbed her dented silver water bottle, pushed it into her belt and secured her loaded service pistol into her side holster. She did not spare a glance at her dusty NCPD badge. Next to it was a creased photo of a beautiful, smiling woman. Her long, blond hair seemed to dance with the breeze when the picture was taken. Maggie touched the side of her face. _I hope you’re safe. Wherever you are._

 

Maggie tiptoed into Kara’s room. The sky had shifted into a combination of pastel pinks and orange peeking out from behind shadowed clouds, offering dim light. She spotted Kara’s water bottle on the floor next to her small bed. Her name was scratched on it. Everyone in the community had 16 ounces, stainless steel water bottle to ration drinking water.

 

Water sloshed inside the bottle when she picked it up. There were a few mouthfuls left. Maggie unscrewed hers and carefully poured some of her water into Kara’s bottle. Kara had cried after her dream. Tears meant her body used water to create them. Her mouth might feel as though she swallowed sand when she woke up. It was not her fault she had to deal with traumatic memory loss. Maggie refused to let her suffer unnecessarily. Besides, it’s not like she needed the extra water anyway. The last time she cried was exactly one year ago. After that photo was taken.

 

She placed the bottle next to Kara and tiptoed out of her room again. Maggie headed down the corridor to the bathroom, hoping for a quick wash. She gently pushed open the bathroom door and peered inside. The buckets under the taps were dry. She sighed.

 

They haven’t had a trickle day in weeks.

 

She closed the door and headed downstairs. Familiar shuffles emanated from the kitchen. M’gann stood next to the island, staring at the rows of colourful canned food. She chose one and squinted at the label.

 

“Don’t,” Maggie warned. M’gann looked at her. “We haven’t reached that level of desperate hunger where you have to eat canned asparagus for breakfast.”

 

M’gann shrugged. She pushed the can back in line. “It’s healthy,” she reasoned but selected another.  The marks on her face were visible in the watery light that filtered through the dirt-coated kitchen windows. Her thin, long sleeved shirt and cotton pants hid most of her skin. She was obviously dressed for outdoor work today. She turned around and smiled as Maggie approached.

 

“Good morning. How’s Kara?”

 

Maggie didn't bother ask how she knew about Kara’s dream when their rooms were on opposite ends of the upstairs corridor.

 

“Asleep.” Maggie leaned against the cream coloured kitchen counter. “She remembered someone’s face this time.”

 

M’gann nodded. “Good. That's good.” She held up two cans with distressed labels. “Peaches or beans?”

 

Maggie grimaced. “Neither but keep the peaches for Kara. She likes the sweet stuff. I still have my share of salted meat to get from Darla.”

 

M’gann opened the beans and spooned some into her mouth. “Still tastes like shit. The trick is to eat it so fast that your taste buds get confused.”

 

“That doesn’t work with me,” Maggie replied.

 

She walked to the covered plastic bucket labelled “Drinking Water” next to the sandy kitchen sink and filled her bottle. She marked off her first water ration for the day on a chart on the wall. Each person was allowed four bottles of water per day, less depending on the amount of drinking water left for the community and the frequency of trickle days.

 

“The taps are still dry,” Maggie said.

 

“That’s one of the things we need to discuss,” M’gann answered, “the water levels are low. There’s drinking water to last the neighbourhood at least one week, two if we ration to three bottles a day per person. Longer if we divert the water allocated for farming to drinking.” She turned and stared out the grimy kitchen windows. Neighbours were putting their solar lights outside to charge. “But I don’t want to do that. If the water stays for the crops, then we can actually get some fresh vegetables for the first time in months.”

 

Maggie thrust the bottle back into her belt. She knew where this conversation was heading. “You want James and I to try the lake again.”

 

M’gann held out her hands as though she was trying to plead with her. “We don’t have a choice-.”

 

“We?” Maggie scoffed, “we? James and I barely got out of there alive when Lord’s patrolmen found us.”

 

“The lake is not part of Lord’s territory-.”

 

Maggie rounded on her, flinching as the sudden motion pulled at her neck. “They shoot anyone who gets close! James got lucky the bullet only grazed his arm.” She shook her head and lowered her voice. “You’re crazy to ask anyone to go down there again.”

 

“I have to do something Maggie,” M’gann pushed the half-eaten beans away. “We can’t sit here and wait for the authorities to find us, regardless of how many messages we send out. They’ve got their hands full with the City as it is. We have to take care of ourselves.”

 

“Fine,” Maggie snapped, wanting the conversation to end, “I’ll go to the lake. I’ll take the buckets with me and fill them if I can.”

“No one leaves these walls alone,” M’gann reminded her.

 

Maggie pursed her mouth to argue but a loud burst of static crackled from a corner of the kitchen. They jumped at the sound.

 

Maggie groaned. “Stupid radio.”

 

The innocent black box continued to spew static until words replaced the noise. They moved closer.

 

“- _the winds are supposed to pick up later this afternoon so protect your lungs. According to the military scientists, National City has recorded over 80 deaths due to infections caused by dust. Also, there's limited cloud cover today so for those working outside; just don't. Stay indoors. And please anyone listening, boil water before drinking it. And finally, some good news from L-Corp. Lena Luthor has made some sort of device that can manipulate the weather systems. How? I don't have a fucking clue-”_

 

Maggie snorted.

 

“- _But she's supposed to start testing it soon. Maxwell Lord_ -”

 

“Mother fucker,” Maggie sneered. M’gann hummed in agreement.

 

_“- of Lord Industries claims that he has also made headway into his device but as formalities go-.”_

 

Static again. Maggie lowered the volume, thinking about the news burst. Military scientists. She looked at M’gann. “What about the group that’s guarding the freshwater reservoir?”

 

M’gann picked up the can of beans again and spooned some into her mouth. “What about them? You said they were dressed as though they were part of the army.”

 

Maggie nodded. She had caught glimpses of them while out on the roads, but she never saw their faces since they were always covered from head to toe. “They didn’t bother us. I can ask them for water. If they’re really military then they’re supposed to help civilians.”

 

“That doesn’t mean they’re friendly,” M’gann countered, “they haven't approached us.” 

 

Maggie shrugged. “They could be under orders or something but it’s worth a shot asking. The possibility of getting my head blown off there is a lot less than trying the lake again.”

 

M’gann sighed. “You’re right. Make this a priority and take James with you. Use the buggy.” M’gann glanced at her watch. “Leave the same time with the scouting party just in case someone is watching our movements.”

 

Maggie rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Lord’s men have better things to do but you never know.”

 

Someone rapped on the front door. “M’gann! M’gann are you awake?”

 

Their eyes met. Judging from the frown on M’gann’s face, Maggie figured she was not expecting anyone. She reached for her gun and moved towards the door. “Who is it?”

 

“It’s Judith. Please I need M’gann!” came a hysterical female voice.

 

Maggie allowed M’gann to push part her and open the door to her closest neighbour. Everyone in the community was friendly enough with each other but Maggie learned to always keep her guard up during survival times.

 

She moved back into the kitchen to give the women their privacy. Maggie toggled her communicator. “James. Meet me at the buggy in ten minutes.”

 

* * *

 

Maggie swept a layer of dust off the solar panels hitched to the back of the buggy while she waited for James. It was after seven in the morning and the sun was already a furnace, burning through her clothes and baking the dead ground. She was dressed in her scouting clothes: long, loose khaki trousers, long-sleeved white shirt and brown hiking boots with black fingerless gloves.

 

Puffs of dust billowed up from under her boots as she stepped to the fourth panel. Her phone crackled with static as the neighbourhood woke up. The perimeter guards informed her that the scouting group was almost ready to leave.

 

She pulled out her phone and spoke into it. “Rajesh, you’re lead today. M’gann asked James and I to look into something.”

 

“Understood,” came a deep voice, “are there any specific requests?”

 

“Yes,” Darla chimed in, “medicine. Any kind of medicine. The first aid kit is almost empty.”

 

Maggie remembered the hacking coughs. “Especially cough medicine.”

 

“And books,” a high-pitched voice added, “the children need to continue learning despite the state of emergency.”

 

“How about a list next time?” Rajesh joked.

 

There was a pause, then, “That reminds me. We’re out of paper.”

 

Maggie chuckled and left them to their fun. At least they were in good spirits. It was so easy to fall into a black hole of despair out here and harder to climb out of it.

 

The ground crunched behind her. “It’s my turn to drive.”

 

Maggie smirked as she turned around. “You don’t even know where we’re going.”

 

James grinned as he walked to the driver’s seat. “It doesn’t matter.”

 

Winn had taken a car, and with the help of several others, modified it into a light weight vehicle that powered on solar energy. Fuel was scarcer than water. That was part of the reason they survived this long. The car helped them get to areas that weren’t targeted by gangs.

 

Maggie eyed James’ clothes. His khaki sleeveless shirt showed off his dark, tattooed skin and bulging muscles. He was dressed in matching cargo pants and hiking boots. His water bottle glinted in the sun. She noticed several females gaze his way as he ran his scarred hands along the hood of the buggy.

 

“Water levels are low so we’re going to meet our long-distance neighbours who are about two hours away,” she updated him.

 

“Okay,” he replied and settled into the driver’s seat.

 

“They’re military.”

 

“I’ve dealt with worse.” His scars proved as such. “Besides they might ask questions first before shooting so I’ll take my chances.”

 

 _Point taken_. Maggie settled next to him as he put the car in gear and drove out of its spot. A washed-out red cooler rattled in the backseat next to a pair of binoculars and stained rags. M’gann had tossed some dry snacks to keep their hunger pangs away and an extra water bottle for emergency.

 

Their phones beeped. The scouts were gone. They were up next.

 

“How’s Kara?” James asked, waving at a group of young women who had stopped to watch him drive by. They giggled. Maggie rolled her eyes.

 

“She's doing great,” Maggie admitted, “she’s with Winn today.”

 

“Maybe these military people can help us find her family.”

 

Maggie stared at him. “I didn't think of that.”

 

He laughed. “I'm more than a pretty face with muscles you know.” James shifted the gear into drive. “Do you have their exact location?”

 

“I figure we’ll drive until we see an oasis.”

 

They drove past the fortified gates. Maggie nodded to the armed guards. The first survival rule: no one was allowed in or out without clearance from herself or M’gann.

 

“I don't know if they’re trustworthy,” Maggie continued about the soldiers, as they left the safety of the high walls, “the last thing I want to do is give them power over us. The less they know the better. At least for now.”

 

“Gotcha.” James shifted gears. “We’re approaching the main road. Time to wrap up.”

 

Maggie pulled a thin cloth over her face and neck and slipped a pair of dark lens goggles over her eyes. She didn't need red, gritty eyes at the end of this trip and more sunburns on her already damaged skin. She shoved a hat over James head and handed him a pair of goggles.

 

He took the buggy to its top speed of 50mph on the empty, dusty road. Everything was brown and hazy thanks to the barren soil and winds that carried dirt for miles.

 

They sped past vacant houses, looted stores, crumbling walls and stick trees. Bones of dead animals littered the sides of the road. They were among the first to succumb to the drought. She remembered walking over dead birds on the roads when there wasn't a puddle of water for miles. People couldn't always spare water for their beloved pets when they barely had for themselves. Only the vultures thrived in this type of hellhole, feasting on every scrap of dead flesh.

The palette of brown plains and charred wood continued for most of the drive. Maggie and James only stopped to clear the silt off the solar panels and sip water.

 

They were driving for over two hours when her butt began cramping. Maggie shifted in the hard bucket seat, grabbed the binoculars from the back, pulled her goggles down her face and pressed the bulky lens against her eyes.

 

Green.

 

She thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She rubbed her eyes and checked again.

 

The green got bigger. Her heart skipped a beat.

 

She punched James’ leg. He immediately slowed down. Maggie stared at the bright greens beckoning to her through the binoculars. _We found it._

 

Maggie handed the binoculars to James.

 

“Wow,” he whispered.

 

“I’m not seeing things, right?” she mumbled.

 

“Nope. I’m seeing the blob of green too.”

 

They agreed to drive right up to the reservoir, now dubbed the oasis, instead of surprising the inhabitants. As they got closer, Maggie saw green patches of life reclaiming the earth. The buggy rolled to a stop. Maggie stared at the outburst of colour in front of her.

 

Different shades of green danced with the wind, exposing thick stems and rich brown tree barks. The scent of perfume wafted into the buggy. Her mother always wore jasmine. Maggie searched the landscape until she saw the white flowers nestled among other shrubs.

 

She didn’t realize she was smiling until her cheeks twitched. She didn’t realize she had left the car until she stepped on grass.  She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until dark spots dotted the corner of her eyes.

 

Maggie breathed. The air was different. Clean. Crisp. Towering trees offered rare shade and protection from the sun. The breeze picked up again and cooled her hot skin. She shivered slightly. Emily was always the cold one and after making love, they would cuddle close to the fireplace in Maggie’s apartment.

 

“How big is this place?” James asked. She heard the wonder in his voice but did not answer. She was busy memorising every leaf, every colourful flower and every blade of grass.

 

Grass.

 

Maggie knelt and pressed her hands on the grass. She forgot its strange sensation of being soft and prickly at the same time. 

 

“This is heaven,” she whispered.

 

James was saying something to her, but she became mesmerized by the carpet of grass sliding through her fingers. A gurgling sound reached her ears. Birds sang to their kin. Maggie closed her eyes and was immediately transported to summer afternoons, swimming and splashing in the lake with her cousins near their childhood home.

 

A gun cocked. Her eyes snapped open. A cold muzzle pressed between her shoulder blades just as she reached for her gun.

 

“Don't even think about it.”

 

Maggie raised her hands. “We ‘re civilians. We came to ask for help,” she said.

 

A tall, burly figure in a black ski mask stood over her. “Stand up,” a male voice growled. She obeyed. She twisted her neck to see two others, in similar green tactical pants, shirts and face masks, confiscate James’ weapons. He was on his knees with hands clasped behind his head. His jaw flexed repeatedly. James was pissed.

 

Knowing he would not take unnecessary risks, Maggie focused on the three who pointed their rifles at her chest. “We just want to talk,” she tried again.

 

An unmasked woman stepped into view. Maggie stuttered. She was gorgeous. Her clean skin was porcelain smooth. Her flawlessness flowed everywhere and disappeared into the same tactical clothes. Her black, glossy hair swirled down to her shoulders. Maggie couldn't stop staring into eyes that matched the colour of the grass.

 

One of the others frisked Maggie and siezed her pistol, hunting knife and phone.

 

The woman nodded.

 

“Hey!” she heard James protest.

 

Someone grabbed her wrists and covered her mouth. Everything went black.


	2. The Soldiers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex recieves unexpected guests

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Zenniefic for the feedback and encouragement.

Alex Danvers’ fist slammed into the man’s jaw. She heard a satisfying crack followed by a muffled scream. The muscles in his arms bulged as he tried to escape from the zip ties holding his wrists and ankles to the aluminium chair bolted to the ground. Rivulets of sweat streamed down his body, thinning the dark blood that seeped from endless wounds on his naked skin. A wet patch of body fluids settled under the chair, reflecting the single overhead light.

 

She had yet to break a sweat.

 

Alex stretched her fingers. Drops of blood fell on her tactical khaki pants and white shirt. “Let’s try this again,” Alex walked around the chair, “how many armed guards are in Lord’s stronghold?”

 

No answer.

 

“How big is the compound?”

 

His shoulders shook.

 

“Do you keep prisoners there?”

 

He wheezed. A bubble of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. For a second Alex thought he was struggling to breathe until she realized the bastard was laughing. Her fingers twitched to grab her concealed pistol, but she forced herself to stay calm.

 

She continued walking until she faced him and casually stepped on his bare toes with her steel-tipped boots. Laughter turned into screams. The veins in his neck bulged as he trashed his head from side to side. He strained against the slick zip ties, begging for release.

 

Alex eventually eased off his toes. His chest heaved as he gulped air. “Fucking bitch,” he wheezed.

 

“That’s Captain Fucking Bitch,” she sneered. She grabbed a fistful of his greasy, blond hair and yanked his head up. Her nose wrinkled when sweat and piss assaulted her senses. She couldn’t remember what he looked like when Lucy’s team had dragged him into the interrogation room three days ago. Now, in the glaring yellow light, his face was a grotesque mess. His left eye was swollen shut with. Blood dripped from an ugly gash under his right eye. Someone had broken his nose and front teeth. Blood trailed down his chin and onto his chest where purple and red bruises bloomed like flowers in spring. That wasn’t her doing. Vasquez was the known rib cracker.

 

“Is my sister one of the prisoners? Or my mother?”

 

He flashed her a bloody, toothless smile.

 

She pulled his hair harder. His lips curled as he grunted.

 

“Tell me! Her name is Kara Danvers. Blond hair, sky blue eyes-”

 

“She sounds like every fucking bitch I killed,” he grinned again and spat a mouthful of blood in her face.

 

She smashed a fist into his throat. She raised her foot just as her radio signalled.

 

_Lucky asshole._ Alex wiped her cheek with her shirtsleeve before unclipping the radio from her waist belt.

 

“Danvers.”

 

“Lane here. We’ve got new guests.”

 

Alex contemplated letting them handle the intrusion. She scowled at the worthless sack of shit groaning on the chair. He was the second person they managed to kidnap from Lord’s base, but they were still clueless about the compound’s layout.

 

Her personal mission was also in the dark. It was as though her mother and sister had vanished into thin air.

 

 Alex toggled the radio. “ETA?”

 

“Two minutes.”

 

“On my way, Lieutenant.”

 

Alex exited the interrogation room without a backward glance. She ordered an armed soldier inside. “Keep him awake until I get back.”

 

“Yes Captain.”

 

She jogged through the makeshift corridors that connected the interrogation room to the command centre. It was a square room, that could comfortably fit four adults, with blinking computers and a map. Overhead skylights offered meagre light during the day inside the long, modular barrack. It was a simple, rectangular, one story building with prefabricated walls for easy assembly in any environment.

 

She strode through another corridor to the sleeping quarters. Fifteen bunk beds lined the wall. Off-key singing came from the communal showers. Alex paused. It sounded like Smith. She shuddered when he hit a high note from _Mama Mia._ The man could shoot a moving target from a vehicle fifty feet away, but he couldn’t sing to save his life.

 

He, of course, thought otherwise.  

 

She moved further into the room. With her rank, she got a cramped 6x6 single bedroom with an adjoining toilet and shower. She barely slept since her mom and sister went missing so Lucy, being third in command, often used the bed.

 

Alex washed her hands in the tiny sink, splashed cold water on her face and neck. She rummaged through her duffle bag and quickly changed into a black short-sleeved V-neck shirt. She buckled in her thigh holster and fixed her combat knife in plain sight.  

 

Alex glanced at the framed photo of her mother and sister in her bag before switching her radio to a private channel. “J’onn, I'm heading out to meet some unexpected guests.”

 

“Acknowledged. I’ll find you after.”

 

Smith was still singing when she left the room.

 

Alex stepped out into the bright afternoon. Despite the soaring temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius, their camp was always cool and shady under the thick, rich foliage trees that surround the barracks. Chickens scampered out of her way only to resume scratching the black earth for burrowed worms. Someone kept a shallow plastic bowl filled with water for them.

 

Her stomach growled as she jogged past the kitchen. The cook was laying out simple chicken and rice meals and bottles of water for lunch. She snagged a bottle and drank the entire thing in one gulp. That would ease her hunger pangs until she finished with the intruders.

 

Alex jogged through the narrow path a soldier had cut through the bushes away from their camp and the reservoir. She didn’t want prying eyes near their operations. In less than two minutes, she entered a small clearing where Lucy’s team were waiting with a man and a woman. Alex slowed her pace. The woman was petite while the man had a wide frame. Both were dark-skinned and dressed in smart clothes that protected them from the angry sun.

 

Alex raised her chin. Lucy removed the black cloth over their heads. They squinted as their eyes adjusted to the glare. The woman looked up. Her sunken, shadowed eyes glimmered as she swept her gaze all around the clearing. Alex had never seen someone this battered by the sun wear her flaws proudly. Either that or she simply didn’t care anymore.

 

Lane cut the zip ties from their wrists. The woman’s muscles flexed under her shirt while rubbing hands. She heard the man mumble, “Everyone here is so clean. It’s weird.”

 

Lucy pointed to them. “They’re the High-Wallers.”

 

_Really? My day is getting better._

 

The woman looked at Lucy. “What did you call us?”

 

“High Wallers,” she repeated, “you're both from that place behind the high walls.”

 

The woman did not reply. Instead, she turned and focused those expressive brown eyes on Alex again.

 

The man cleared his throat. “That’s a good guess.”

 

“I don’t guess,” Lucy shot back.

 

“My apologies,” he replied with a smile. Alex wondered how many women fell for the smile and muscles combination. She hoped Lucy wasn’t getting any ideas.

 

“You said you wanted to talk,” Lucy gestured to Alex, “now is your chance.”

 

Alex expected the man to continue but the woman stepped forward. “I'm Maggie Sawyer. This is James. Yes, we’re from the civilian community behind the high walls. As you all probably know, it’s been months since the last trickle day and our water levels are very low. We’re here to ask for some water from the reservoir. Please.”

 

Excitement surged through Alex. She finally had an opportunity to get more intel on Lord since the High Wallers were closer to his base.  

 

The woman, Maggie, never broke eye contact with Alex. She had grit. _Good. That would be an asset._

 

“What’s trickle day?” Lucy asked, interrupting Alex’s thoughts.

 

Maggie and the man exchanged a look.

 

“It’s a day when the city releases water into the pipes. At first it was weekly then as the drought persisted, it became monthly. Now we don’t know when there’ll be a trickle of water from the taps.”

 

“So, everyone behind those walls would live off one bucket of water?” Lucy asked. Alex heard the disbelief in her voice.

 

The man bobbed his head. “Pretty much, yes.”

 

“Ok that’s enough small talk. Lower your weapons,” Alex ordered. Her soldiers obeyed. She moved closer to the pair. Maggie, she noticed, tracked her every move.

 

“Are you their leader?” she asked Maggie.

 

Maggie glanced at James again. “I'm here asking for help for our people.”

 

“You didn't answer my question Maggie?”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Alex faltered at the unexpected response. “What?”

 

Maggie stepped closer and rested her hands on her hips. “I told you mine. Tell me yours?”

 

A soldier already had a gun pointed at Maggie’s back when she moved to Alex.

 

_Grit with a touch of reckless bravery._

 

Alex saw the ragged ripped skin on the side of her neck. It continued across her collar bone and disappeared down her shirt. It looked new and painful. Sun spots dotted her shoulders and face. She was suddenly hypnotized when Maggie’s tongue darted out to moisten her cracked lips. There were white puckered scars with specks of dried blood on them which meant that her lip had split and healed countless times. She wondered if they felt as rough as they looked. Alex took a step back to focus and avoided looking at Lucy.

 

“You’re on my territory so I ask the questions. Are you their leader?”

 

Maggie glared at her.

 

The man shifted. “She’s not. We’re here on behalf of our leader to discuss a trade agreement with you.”

 

The soldiers laughed.

 

Intrigued, Alex turned her attention back to the man. “What kind of trade agreement?”

 

“Whatever you need. I'm sure we will find a way to provide it.”

 

_That didn’t take long._ “I need eyes on the lake.”

 

Maggie and James bristled.

 

_Interesting. They must have had experience with Lord._

 

“Why?” James asked.

 

“I have orders to secure all freshwater reserves. The lake falls under my jurisdiction. My soldiers have tried but they can't find a way to secure it without revealing themselves to the other side.”

 

She saw Maggie crinkle her forehead and survey the surrounding soldiers. “Why can't you reveal yourselves?” she asked.

 

“That's classified,” Alex replied. Maggie rolled her eyes. She didn't care for Alex’s answer. _Add issues with authority._

 

“I can't agree to this,” Maggie continued, “we don’t have the resources-”.

 

“Resources like what?”

 

Maggie hesitated. “Firepower, extra food, water, shelter.”

 

“Done.”

 

James’ jaw dropped. Maggie mouthed wordlessly. Lucy shifted next to her and tapped her fingers together. That was their code for “What the hell are you doing?”

 

Alex ignored Lucy. “I’ll give you the resources as long as I have your word-.”

 

“No.” The answer came fast, sharp and edged with a growl.

 

Alex slipped her hands into her pants pockets. _Grit, reckless bravery, authority issues and obstinacy. This is shaping up to be a wonderful partnership._ “Ok then. Allow some of my soldiers to use your community as a temporary resting spot.”

 

“Stop right there, G.I. Jane,” Maggie glowered, “I’m not stupid. That’s a suicidal request. I might as well paint a target on our walls if your people are gonna be traipsing in and out of our gates.”

 

“Why? Because you have an alliance with someone else?”

 

 “No! We don’t want alliances. I’m not picking sides. The people behind the walls are accountants, farmers, teachers, florists, carpenters and kids. They’re not soldiers. They’re just trying to survive. Alliances will get them killed.”

 

“They would die from thirst and starvation anyway. Why make them suffer like that? A bullet in the head is an easier way to go.”

 

Maggie balled her fists.

 

That last statement left a bitter taste in Alex’s mouth, but she shoved it aside. _She needs to come to terms with the harsh truth._

 

“That’s my offer,” Alex said simply, “you need water. I need 24/7 recon on the lake so either spare whoever you can or let us in.”

 

“Not like this.”

  

The man, James, who was quiet during the heated banter, raised his hands. “I’ll do it.”

 

Alex expected as much. Maggie, however, was shocked. “The hell you are!”

 

“It’s the only way,” she heard James say quietly to Maggie. Louder, he asked Alex, “if I volunteer, will you give us the drinking water? That's all we want.”

 

Maggie grabbed his arm and pulled him down to her eye level. Alex noticed her fingers digging into James’ arm as they argued in hushed tones. She seemed to care for him. James listened intently. He didn't like what she was saying because he kept shaking his head until Maggie finally turned away. James straightened and they both faced her again.

 

Alex kept her face carefully blank.

 

She saw Maggie’s shoulders raise as she took a deep breath. Alex waited.

 

“Listen,” Maggie began, “I don’t know you. We don’t know each other but I do know something about the army. These soldiers, these people around you are your brothers in arms, right? They’re like you’re family.”

 

Alex folded her arms across her chest and glanced down at her feet.

 

“Those people there,” she waved her hand in the direction of the High Wallers, “are the closest thing to a family I’ve got. James is like a brother to me and I’ve got something like a sister behind those walls as well.”

 

Maggie smiled when she said sister. Alex sucked in a breath. Her face had softened, and those eyes relaxed enough for Alex to catch a glimpse of a different side of Maggie.

 

Sister.

 

Alex struggled to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. She coughed. Lucy tapped her leg again.

 

“All we have is each other. I swore an oath to protect and serve and I will do anything to protect my family.”

 

Alex flinched as though she was kicked in the gut. Her mouth felt strange. Heavy and dry. She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand.

 

“If those are your terms then I’ll do the recon for you. I’ll help your soldiers. You have my word but it’s just me. Leave everyone else out of this agreement. Those are my terms.”

 

Blood roared in her ears. She saw Kara laughing with their mother over Alex’s choice of movie. She heard Kara’s excited phone call when her first article was published.

 

Alex didn’t realize she was walking away until Maggie called out to her. She managed to turn around without stumbling and croaked out, “Take the water before nightfall.”

 

Acid churned her stomach. Tears burned her eyes. She fled into the bushes, hoping no one would follow her.

 

* * *

 

 

Over two hours later, Alex heard Lucy huff while she climbed the ladder to the Tower. She resumed watching Maggie and the man in the small car as they waited on their truck to finish pumping water into the barrels. Lucy jumped down next to her, shaking the flimsy structure and the trees around it. Alex wanted to be alone and the Tower was the best place for it. Unfortunately, Lucy had other plans. Alex considered ordering her out of her space, but she didn’t want to be that type of leader. Besides, she knew Lucy was here as a friend, not a soldier.

 

“They should be gone in about twenty minutes,” Lucy reported, “Smith and Klein are helping with the pumps.”

 

She saw Maggie pull the man out of the driver’s seat.

 

“They took your bait,” Lucy continued, “hook, line and sinker.”

 

“Desperation will make even the strongest person do surprising things,” Alex said.

 

They were now rummaging through a red box.

 

“So that’s your plan? Give them water and weapons to gather intel for us and then we attack his base?”

 

“Pretty much yeah. Why? Do you have a problem with me using pretty boy muscles?”

 

Lucy snorted. “Of course, you would notice. I do have a weakness for his type. But no, it’s not that. Washington isn’t going to approve more money for food and weapons. Hell Alex, they gave us bare minimum for this mission.”

 

“How stupid do you think I am Lane?” Alex snapped, “I’ve already considered all of that. We have more than enough guns and ammo to spare. J’onn will authorize it. We’ll manage if we need to give up some food and more water. Smith will just have to take shorter showers.”

 

Alex shielded her eyes just as a gust of wind blew sand into the Tower. She peered at Lucy just as the wind died down and sighed. She opened her mouth to apologize but Lucy began to talk.

 

“Are you ready to say what’s really bothering you?”

 

_No._ Maggie was now in the driver’s seat.

 

“You phased out when the woman mentioned sister. We’ll find her, Alex.”

 

“Yeah?” Alex said quietly, “I don't even know where to start to look.”

 

“If she was with Lord, we’d know by now. The fucker would be gloating his egotistical ass off. Anyway, I think James would have been a better option.”

 

Alex frowned. “Who?”

 

“James, the High Waller guy. The one who’s with the woman.”

 

“Her name is Maggie Sawyer.”

 

Maggie had turned the car around while James walked back to check on the truck. She kept thinking about the painful raw blister on Maggie’s neck, her lips, her stubborn bravery while standing firm on her moral ground.

 

Lucy continued, “She asked me your name. I told her Captain Danvers.”

 

Alex nodded. She heard the truck rumble. “Are there extra healing balms in med bay?”

 

“I think so. Why?”

 

“Give them a few containers. They’ll ration it.”

 

“You getting soft on them, Danvers?”

 

Heavy doors slammed shut. Someone revved the truck’s engine.

 

“I need her whole and healthy when we fight Lord’s men.”

 

* * *

 

 

J’onn was waiting for Alex in the interrogation room. She updated him while he munched on an apple. The prisoner was still breathing. His eyes were closed but the guard assured her that he was awake.

 

When she finished, J’onn briefed her on the meeting with his superiors. “Our orders remain the same, Alex. Find and eliminate Lord’s stronghold. There’s new information in the command centre that confirms they are stockpiling fuel.”

 

“Just as we suspected. Any evidence of him selling it on the black market?” Alex asked.

 

He shook his head. “That’s another thing we have to find out. Good work with the High Wallers, Captain Danvers,” J’onn praised, “it was a strategic move to get them to help us.”

 

Alex flushed. “Thank you, sir.” She can't remember the last time she smiled. “I may need to use some of our resources to show good faith.”

 

“Use whatever you need Alex,” he clapped her shoulder, “I trust you’ll do what is necessary.” He nodded to the prisoner. “I’ll leave you to it.”

 

Alex waited until his footsteps disappeared and exhaled. J’onn commended her decision to work with Maggie. The sooner she could infiltrate Lord’s base, the faster she can find her family. That was all that mattered. Everything else was collateral damage.

 

Her face twisted in disgust when she eyed the bloody pile of mess slumped on the chair. She didn’t need him anymore. Alex pulled out her pistol and fired. The bullet slammed between his eyes, rocking his head back.

 

Alex holstered her gun and left.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Kuods, comments and constructive feedback are always appreciated.


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